Supporting the Continuing Resolution on House Floor

... passed without amendment h.r. 11999, an act to extends the program for drug endangered children. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. obey: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the distinguished majority leader. the speaker pro tempore: the majority leader, the gentleman from maryland, is recognized for one minute. mr. hoyer: i thank the distinguished chairman of the appropriations committee for yielding. i rise obviously in very strong support of this continuing resolution and the three full bills that are attached to it and the other nine of course that will be funded at last year's level with certain exceptions that are necessary to act responsibly. obviously passing a c.r. is never an ideal step. i want to say as someone who served on the appropriations committee for 23 years, actually 25 years, i guess, i hold that committee in very high regard. i'm pleased that i am following representative from kentucky, the ranking member of this committee. as he spoke not only of the substance of the bill that he has been most intimately involved in, but as well of the respect that he and the chairman have for one another anti-ability they have to work together. i think -- and the ability they have to work together. i think it's been one of the hallmarks of the appropriations committee that's been possible. regrettably, however, very frankly from my perspective, forces outside of the context of the appropriations committee for whatever reasons, whether they are from the administration or from each of our caucuses, has undermined that ability of the committee to work the way it has worked and wants to work. no one in this body is more attuned to the needs of this body, loves this institution more, is more student of this institution and very frankly is a better legislator than the chairman of this committee, my friend, david obey. i want to congratulate him for his extraordinary patience, he's not known as a patient man which makes his patience even more extraordinary he's been working on a bill that's been so frustrating for him as well as the committee and the congress. the c.r. does contain a number of important funding provisions and increasing the home energy assistance program which the chairman has been involved in all of his congressional career. which spans some almost four decades. help families heat their houses during the winter of high fuel costs. includes funding for pell grants to ensure that college aid is not cut in the middle of the school year. so that our students will have access to college. and nutrition funding for women and children struggling with the economic downturn and food price that is confront them. nevertheless we are debating frankly a c.r. today because we did not complete the appropriations process. i think that's regrettable. i hope we do not repeat that next year. i see mr. wamp shaking his head as a ranking member. i think everybody on the appropriations committee wants to make sure that we can complete our process next year. i think we can. very frankly we were confronted, the chairman was confronted with an administration who wanted to limit funding frankly far below what was possible in order to meet the responsibilities that we have to this nation and to our people. today's outcome was a direct result in my opinion of the white house's unwillingness to come to the table to discuss funding levels for priorities, determine what those priorities are, whether they be the national institute of health, whether they be vocational education programs, whether they be protecting our environment or very frankly whether they be overseeing in a regulatory way the financial community. the failure of which has led us to a very critical time in our country's history. there were 20 programs eliminated. congress did not agree with all of those. the administration would have slashed funds for our crumbling infrastructure, for law enforcement, for energy research. those are items which could have been debated and should have been debated and brought to this floor, but because there was no flexibility, that did not occur. simply saying we'll adopt your priorities, mr. president, is inconsistent with article 1 of the constitution which gives to the 435 of us that had been elected by the people of this country to come and to set priorities for our country. we do so in a representative way. the president very frankly is elected to make a determination on our product. not to tell us what our product is. but to make a judgment once our product is passed whether or not he will agree. if he does not agree, he vetoes that bill and then we have a ...